Spiritual philosophy from my Guides.
2022 - The Year Our Lives Changed Greatly Once More.
By Claire Edwards DSNU
Where to begin, I know that it has been a long time since I last posted some of my inspired writing, it is due to an ongoing health problem that currently leaves me in chronic pain but also due to 2022 being one of the hardest years so far.
Early in the year my mother in law became unwell and after tests was found to have terminal cancer and so from April to September, when she passed unexpectedly due to complications, we decided to move in with her and to spend as much time as we could making memories and hopefully letting her know how much we all love her.
Before Covid, my mother-in-law bought a camper van. This took her on many adventures but not as many as she had hoped due to the lockdowns that happened. And so we decided that we would undertake a four week road trip with her and our children to go to some of the places that she wanted to see again and to some of the places that she had always wished to see. We had an amazing time and I can honestly say that four weeks of sleeping on a very thin camping mattress was worth the memories that were made – not least paddling in waterfalls in Wales and watching the England women’s football team play in the semi-final of the Euros at Sheffield – we travelled the length and breadth of the UK, marking a map as we went.
During this part of the year I was, as ever, amazed by the support and kindness that I received from individuals, centres and Spiritualist churches. However I was, as ever, also amazed by the reception of some when I said that I would not be working for some of the year while we had our adventure and looked after her. One centre in particular was simply breathtaking in their actions that I can only describe as underhand, duplicitous and quite frankly as far removed from any ideas of Spirituality that I have ever encountered over the years.
I write this not to complain merely to ponder why there are still so many in our movement who portray themselves as “spiritual” and able to teach others, when the reality is that they only seem to be trying to serve their ego and themselves – but I suppose such is life.
One of the many things that my mother-in-law reminded me of last year was that despite all the hardships, despite all the twists and turns of life that we can still find the joy and wonder in the simple gifts that are all around us. From the joy of the first Spring flowers, to the bats performing aerial stunts in the twilight, to watching the sun setting whilst also the moon rising over the same sea, there are miracles and wonders that we often take for granted, yet are ever constant to remind us of the eternal truth of our Spirit.
And as I look at the Spring flowers this year, it is bitter sweet, because this time last year she was here. And we had the sense that this was the last time she would see the Mimosa in our garden bloom with its spiky little balls of yellow blossom that give the most wonderful scent as they do so, that this would be the last year she would be able to walk amongst the Bluebells and to see the Swallows as they returned, that this was the last year.
And whilst there is this knowing that she is no longer “here” in the physical sense, we take genuine comfort in the signs that she is clearly giving to us that she is still with us and around us as we feel her love and her Spirit, perhaps closer to us that we have felt it before.
Life is a mixture of moments of sheer joy and fear and we all must face moments that we are not entirely sure how to handle, but handle them we must and handle them we do.
So here is to 2023, may it bring us the lessons that we need to help lighten our vibration so that we can perceive the wonders and gifts of life. May we all learn to see where the true value and deeper meaning is to the things around us and to the love we share with others. May we all take comfort knowing that this too shall pass and one day, one day we will all be reunited once more in the Summerland.
© Claire Edwards DSNU 2023